There exist a variety of flexible sheet materials that are used for temporarily covering objects, for example roofs of leaky structures until repairs can be made, sand-boxes, patio furniture during the winter, swimming pools, lumber, firewood stacks, or articles during road transport. These flexible sheet materials will be referred to herein as tarpaulins (although as originally defined tarpaulin referred to a heavy-duty waterproof cloth of tarred canvas, which was first used in the 1600s). Tarpaulins are also used to collect objects and articles to make clean-up faster. For example, landscapers use tarps to collect leaves, dirt, clippings, and weeds in order to haul the collection away for disposal. Tarpaulins find use in covering delicate outdoor plants during the winter in some climates. Roofers use tarpaulins to collect roofing debris when replacing roof shingles. Dumping vehicles use tarpaulins to cover their load while in transport to prevent debris from falling out of the vehicle. Mesh tarpaulins are employed to create privacy screens. Campers use tarpaulins to create make-shift, temporary shelters. Sports fans sometimes use tarpaulins to create tail-gate party shelters and to cover themselves against rain or snow in outdoor stadiums. In emergencies, tarpaulins find a massive variety of creative uses.
Tarpaulins can be made of any type of flexible sheet material. Exemplary are polyethylene, vinyl, canvas, coated-canvas, plastic, vinyl-coated polyester, latex, nylon-coated polyethylene, polyethylene filament coated with polyethylene, vinyl-laminated nylon, single filament nylon between layers of polyethylene, knitted mesh, polyvinyl chloride-coated mesh, and bi-layers materials such as cloth and vinyl. Tarpaulins can be grommeted or not when manufactured, and when not grommeted when manufactured, grommets can be added later.
A variety of attachment or fastening devices, typically of the clip-type, are known for use as securing mechanisms for tarpaulins. One category of such devices includes fasteners of the alligator-clip type which use various external means of adjusting and closing the alligator-clip portion of the device, such as lock nuts, collars and pivot connections. Lock nuts are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2003/0115726 (Liao) and 2002/0000027 (Andersen et al.), collars are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,698,071 (Greer, Jr. et al.) and 5,388,313 (Cameron), and a pivot connection is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,402 (Anderson et al.). This type of clip is used on the material portion of the tarpaulin, not in the grommet, and for that reason they tend to cause excessive wear on the material and can even tear through the material with repeated use in the same location or when the tarpaulin is subjected to excessive strain or force. Another category of known tarpaulin securing devices is composed of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,189,024 (Cameron) and 6,718,600 (Gillis), which disclose more or less flat mating connector members that twist into place with the material portion of the tarpaulin in between. A third category, composed of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,406,753 (LaScala); 5,074,014 (Freeman); and 4,688,304 (Marcott), discloses fasteners of the button-retainer or wedge-retainer type in which the tarpaulin material is held in place once the button or wedge is slid into place in the retainer.
It would be advantageous to provide a tarpaulin securing device that is intended to make use of the grommets provided with or added to the tarpaulin material in order to lessen the likelihood of tearing the tarpaulin material. It would also be advantageous to provide a tarpaulin securing device that provides a means of handling the tarpaulin using the securing device. None of the foregoing documents disclose handles that are integral to a tarpaulin securing device. One document, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0314321 (Van Dyken) discloses both tarp fasteners and handles, but they are separate from each other on the tarpaulin and the handles are not removable. Surprisingly, although tarpaulins have been around for hundreds of years, materials for making fastening devices have been around for hundreds of years (at least metals have; plastics have come along later), and handles for objects have been around for hundreds of years, it appears that tarpaulin fastening devices having integral handles are not known. This apparent lack in the art is remedied by the invention described here.